Old-Time Baseball with Athletic Baseball Club of Philadelphia

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – With names like Hurly Burly, Love Seat, Soupy and Flame it may sound like the sale bin at the Fine Men's Cologne Store-- but it's actually The Athletic Baseball Club of Philadelphia. The Athletic are a vintage baseball team that plays in tournaments, festivals, exhibitions and a league all dedicated to playing baseball like it was played in the 1860s. It's equal part sport and history and the attention to detail on the uniforms and equipment would rival historical re-enactments. The Athletic play their home games in Fairmount Park but we caught up with them at historic Batsto Village in New Jersey. The Athletic get things right down to the smallest detail, including a "near beer" they they use in place of water. (While water was available in the 1860s it often came with things like malaria and diphtheria, so people opted for something similar to our beer today.)